Transcontinental Railroad
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The Transcontinental Railroad was a national transportation network approved by the passing of the Pacific Railroad Acts of 1862 and 1864 after decades of lobbying efforts. It was financed by 30 year government bonds and built on government land. Between 1863 and 1883, the Central Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific Railroad connected the east to the west. The labor workers were a combination of Irish immigrants, ex-Army soldiers, and Chinese immigrants. Symbolically, the railroad aimed to unite the Civil War-torn United States. From an economic standpoint, it became a vital artery for reducing travel time and making it safer, altogether. In 1879, the Supreme Court formally ruled and the official completion date was November 6, 1869. Work continued on the Southern Pacific Raiload and Northern Pacific Railway.
In 1883, a formal ceremony to celebrate the actual completion of the Railroad was to take place in Utah territory near the town, Devil's Hole. Ra's al Ghul planned to attack the ceremony, kill the President of the United States, and take over. He and his army secretly constructed an airship in the Utah desert he named the Phoenix. However, a bounty on Ra's' son, Arkady DuVall, attracted the attention of Jonah Hex. Thanks to a barmaid in Devil's Hole, Hex discovered the airship but was captured. He later escaped and sabotaged the airship as it attacked the Transcontinental Railroad. Ra's escaped, DuVall was captured, and the Railroad was completed.